Garland

This suburban city 15 miles northeast of Dallas has grown from a farming community incorporated in 1891 to a thriving city in the DFW metroplex. The city is home to the long-established Resistol Hat Factory, which provided headwear for "J.R. Ewing" on the popular "Dallas" TV series. The Center for Performing Arts, at Fifth and Austin streets, is home to the Garland Symphony, Garland Civic Theater and Garland summer musicals. The Plaza Theater, a local landmark since the 1940s, has been renovated in the era's art-deco style to be a state-of-the-art performing arts facility seating 338. Garland also is home to Amberton University.